San Diego
An adult Boy Scout leader accused of molesting a 14-year-old Scout pleaded innocent Wednesday to 12 felony counts against him.
Rodney Stark, 41, who was a Boy Scout volunteer for more than 20 years, will go on trial July 3.
Stark is also a sixth-grade teacher at Black Mountain Middle School in Rancho Penasquitos and has been employed by the Poway Unified School District since 1973. He is currently on a leave of absence.
About a dozen friends and supporters accompanied Stark to his arraignment Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Jesus Rodriguez.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Sally Penso said afterward that the trial is expected to last two weeks, but could last longer depending on how many witnesses the defense attorney calls.
Penso said she expects Lane Cooke, who is representing Stark, to call a number of other Boy Scouts as witnesses to testify that they also went on camping trips with Stark and were never molested. The boy testified at a preliminary hearing several weeks ago that the alleged molestation took place on camping trips.
Stark, who lives in Rancho Penasquitos, remains free on $15,000 bail posted soon after his arrest in early March.
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